Begin the school year on a positive note

Your calendar is correct. Summer vacation is coming to an end and a new schedule for your children will soon begin. As excited as they are anticipating the beginning of another school year, they will also exhibit signs of anxiety and apprehension. This is understandable because children thrive on the familiar. Repetition is their security blanket that envelops daily events and insures predictability. You witness this every time your child frequently plays the same game or asks to have one story read again and again, or even when they repeatedly eat the identical food for each meal. Children demand repetition in order to feel a sense of protection and safety. Their world is reinforced through recurrent events and trusting adults.

Students who are looping to the next grade have an advantage, and their anxiety is reduced by having already spent one year with their teacher. However, the prospect of a different curriculum and its accompanying challenges might be a bit worrisome.

Students who have already spent two years with one teacher might be concerned about a new personality, classroom rules, and procedures. It is helpful if they are already familiar with this teacher or if they are aware of others who have been in his or her class, but what really matters is their own special relationship that will develop.

Parental understanding and support is extremely important at this time. Share their excitement and reinforce the fact that everyone is experiencing the same excitement, nervousness and curiosity about the upcoming school year.

Demonstrate a positive attitude. Introduce a new vocabulary that reflects positive thoughts and ideas, Include words that reassure confidence and optimism such as new, challenging, interesting, possibility, opportunity, solution, reflection, responsibility.

These words develop characteristics that will enhance problem solving skills and create a sense of individual control.

Develop a sense of “risk-taking” toward learning. Accepting challenges and approaching new concepts is paramount to academic success and enrichment.

Discuss the “best” part of each day. Family discourse is very important. Think of hypothetical situations in which a problem occurs and encourage possible and acceptable solutions.

Resist comparisons to the past year. Whenever previous experiences are contrasted to current ones, there is a tendency to evaluate the negative first. Only time creates a familiar trusting environment, a climate that your child becomes comfortable with. A successful academic year for children is the goal of everyone involved. This is accomplished by a team approach. Never hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or counselor if you have any concerns. You play an essential role in your child’s academic journey. Enjoy this 2011-2012 school year.

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